The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
The total area: 244 thousand square km
The population: about 60 million people
The capital: London
The main river: the Thames
State system: a constitutional monarchy
The Head of State: Queen Elizabeth the II
The National Anthem: “God save the Queen”
The National flag: the Union Jack

London
London is the capital of Great Britain. It is a very old city. It is situated upon both banks of the Thames. The population of London is about 9 million people.
It has got three parts: the City of London, the West End, the East End. You can see many offices, firms and banks in the City of London. It is the financial centre of the United Kingdom. The West End is the centre of London. There are a lot of interesting places in this part. And the East End of London is the district for the working people. There are many factories, workshops there.
Big Ben
Big Ben is the name of the largest clock in one of the tall towers of the Houses of Parliament. It always shows the right time.

The Tower Bridge
It was built by an architect Jones Chorus in 1884. It is one of the wonderful places for many tourists.
The Tower
The Tower of London is a very old building. It is more than 900 years old. English kings lived in it many years ago, but now it is a museum. It was a fortress, a royal palace and later a prison.
Trafalgar Square
It is named in honour of Nelson’s great victory of 1805 and it is dominated by the Nelson’s Column. From Trafalgar Square it is only a short way to Piccadilly Circus.

Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace is the London home of the Queen. When the flag is flying on the top she is at home. It was built in 1703.
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey where kings and queens are crowned is opposite the Houses of Parliament. Many famous people are buried here, among them Newton, Darwin, Dickens and Kipling.
The British Museum
The British Museum was opened in 1753. The Museum contains the most important collections in Britain. There is a very big library, where you can find more than 10 million books.
The National Gallery
It has a collection of Italian, Dutch, German and French pictures. The gallery is open 7 days a week and admission is free.

Piccadilly Circus
In the centre of Piccadilly Circus is a bronze fountain. It was designed by Sir Alfred Gilbert in 1893.
The Thames
London stands on the River Thames. There are 17 bridges over the Thames in London and 8 tunnels under the river.
Hyde Park
Hyde Park is a royal park. People are allowed to walk or sit and lie on the grass. The Serpentine is a lake in the middle of the park. In summer you can swim or go out in a boat there.

Answer the questions:
1. What is the full name of Great Britain?
(The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)
2. How many states of Great Britain do you know?
(4. Wales, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland)
3. What interesting places of London do you know?